Is This the Best New K-12 Product at InfoComm? We Think So

In a tiny 10×10 booth in the middle of the show floor debuted the best new K-12 product we saw at InfoComm 2017 in Orlando, Fla.. Pilot, as the product is called, is from a company that’s known for document cameras, HoverCam. Pilot is basically a glass-topped lectern (even though they call it a podium) that’s integrated with a 21″ 10-touch capable touch-screen monitor (flat mounted behind the glass on the left side of the lectern), a built-in i5 core Windows 10 computer, a 13-megapixel 4K output document camera, an iPad doc two HDMI inputs, one HDMI output and a wireless 4K capable transmitter (in case you don’t want to use the HDMI output). Yes, all of that is inside this very cool looking lectern on wheels for $2,500.

Huh? Yes, $2,500.

Aimed at K-12, this product WILL crossover to the university arena too. rAVe founder Gary Kayye teaches at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the School of Media and Journalism and he’s ordered one to replace the desk at the front of his classroom — he says he’ll be using it as a connection hub for ad-hoc teaching. Sure, he’s still have the rack with the Extron live-streaming system with the SMP-351, their matrix and the retractable Cable Cubby but the Pilot, since it’s mobile, allows a teacher to make any part of the room the “front of the room.”

About Gary Kayye

Gary Kayye, founder of rAVe Publications, is one of the most prominent personalities in the audiovisual industry. He has been a contributor to WIRED magazine and a technical advisor and columnist for Sound & Communications magazine as well as an opinionated columnist for rAVe [Publications] since 2003. In addition to his writing and market analysis, Gary has been a product, marketing and business operations consultant to dozens of AV companies in the U.S. and overseas. Clients have included companies such as Sony, Sharp, Epson, Lutron, InFocus, Sanyo, Mitsubishi, NEC and Philips.
Gary, who has been involved with the audiovisual market for over 20 years, was the recipient of the InfoComm 2003 Educator of the Year Award and the 2007 NSCA Instructor of the Year Award. Over the years, he has donated much of his time as an active volunteer in the AV industry’s trade association and served as chairman of InfoComm’s Professional Education & Training Committee (PETC), chairman of the ICIA Design School Committee and chairman of InfoComm’s Installation School Committee. In addition, he has served on the InfoComm board of governors. He also helped grow the InfoComm Projection Shoot-Out as the premiere AV industry trade show special event serving on the committee from 1991 through 1997, and was instrumental in launching the Shoot-Out in the European market at the Photokina Expo in 1994 and 1996 as well as the Asian market at the 1995 and 1997 INFOCOMM Asia shows.
Prior to founding his own company, Gary was vice president of sales and marketing for AMX Corporation (www.amx.com), a manufacturer specializing in professional AV and residential AV control systems. Prior to AMX, Gary spent nine years at Extron Electronics (www.extron.com), rising to the position of vice president of sales and marketing.
Gary earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1987 from the University of North Carolina and is currently Adjunct Faculty at UNC in the School of Journalism teaching a class on how future technologies will affect the future of advertising, PR and marketing.
He is also the founder of Swim for Smiles, a non-profit that raises money for the N.C. Children’s Hospital through swimming and other fitness-related events for kids.
You can contact him at gary@ravepubs.com..